Sports betting companies in Nigeria weaponize artificial intelligence for their own benefit. They use AI-generated reading bots, dashboards, voice clones, and algorithms to entice children under 18 into sports betting. These companies give false hopes to children, promising them high returns on small bets, only to disappoint them through repeated losses, causing mental health problems.
In addition, leading companies in the space use AI models to continuously analyze vast datasets—including historical results, weather, and player tracking data—to calculate accurate win probabilities, giving children under 18 the illusion that they cannot lose if they bet.
This investigation uncovers how AI is causing mental health problems for children under 18 and others, and how sports betting companies use gaps in regulation, poverty, misinformation, and digital illiteracy to enhance their business.
